Carne Guisada

Carne guisada, meaning “stewed meat” in Spanish, is a beloved dish in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. This rich, flavorful beef stew is slow-cooked to perfection with aromatic spices, tomatoes, and peppers, making it a comfort food staple that brings warmth and satisfaction to any table.

Carne guisada has deep roots in Mexican and Tex-Mex traditions, evolving from simple home-cooked meals to a dish that is now served in restaurants and family gatherings alike. It embodies the essence of slow-cooked, hearty meals that nourish and comfort.

The beauty of carne guisada lies in its versatility. It can be enjoyed as a main dish with rice and beans, stuffed into tacos, or used as a filling for burritos.

What will you need?

This classic dish is easy to prepare with just a few ingredients and some patience. Here’s a simple and authentic recipe:

• Beef, sirloin or chuck
• Salt
• Vegetable oil
• White onion
• Green bell pepper
• Jalapeno
• Garlic
• Cumin
• Smoke paprika
• Black pepper
• Oregano
• Tomato paste
• Dark beer
• Roma tomatoes
• All-purpose flour
• water
• bay leaves
• Russet potato
• Mexican rice, for serving
• Pinto beans, or refried beans, for serving
• Corn tortillas, for serving
• Cilantro, for garnish

How to make Carne Guisada

To prepare the meat, season all sides of the beef with salt. In a large skillet over medium-high heat add in the vegetable oil. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the beef. Cook until a crust starts to form, about 5 minutes. It’s okay if every piece of meat doesn’t get a good crust—you just want some color. Remove the beef and set aside.

In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add in the onion, bell pepper and jalapeño. Saut. until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper and oregano. Cook for 1 minute. Add in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.

Add in the beer and cook off the alcohol, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato and add the beef. Sprinkle the flour over the pot and mix. Add in the water and bay leaves. Give it a good mix and let simmer on low for 45 minutes. Add in the potatoes and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and the stew is at your desired consistency. Taste for salt.

Serve on a plate with rice, beans and tortillas. Top with cilantro.

Carne Guisada

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Recipe by Zachary Rodriguez Course: MainCuisine: Mexican

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

1

Ingredients

• 2 lb top sirloin or chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

• Salt

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil

• 1 white onion, diced

• 1 green bell pepper, diced

• 1 jalapeño, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tsp (4 g) cumin

• 2 tsp (4 g) smoked paprika

• 2 tsp (4 g) black pepper

• 2 tsp (3 g) oregano

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste

• 1 cup (60 ml) dark beer

• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced

• 1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour

• 2 cups (480 ml) water

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 russet potato, cubed

• Mexican Rice, for serving

• Pinto Beans or Refried Beans, for serving

• Corn tortillas, for serving

• Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

• To prepare the meat, season all sides of the beef with salt. In a large skillet over medium-high heat add in the vegetable oil. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the beef. Cook until a crust starts to form, about 5 minutes. It’s okay if every piece of meat doesn’t get a good crust—you just want some
  color. Remove the beef and set aside.
• In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add in the onion, bell pepper and jalapeño. Sauté. until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper and oregano. Cook for 1 minute. Add in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add in the beer and cook off the alcohol, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato and add the beef. Sprinkle the flour over the pot and mix. Add in the water and bay leaves. Give it a good mix and let simmer on low for 45 minutes. Add in the potatoes and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and the stew is at your desired consistency. Taste for salt.
• Serve on a plate with rice, beans and tortillas. Top with cilantro. Hope you enjoy!